Mastering Time: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Grand Complications And Enamel Artistry

Jaeger-LeCoultre, the “watchmaker of watchmakers,” continues to highlight its expertise in high complications and traditional craftsmanship with two exceptional new timepieces: the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985 and the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel. These creations reaffirm the brand’s position as one of the few Swiss manufactures capable of designing and producing almost all of its components in-house, from cases and dials to the highly sophisticated calibres within.

Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985

The Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985 represents one of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most intricate achievements. At its heart lies the automatic Calibre 985, a movement comprising 431 individual components that combines a perpetual calendar, a moonphase display, and a flying tourbillon. The perpetual calendar dominates the dial with sub-dials for the day, date, month, and year, each finished with contrasting textures and polished hands. Complementing this is an astronomical moonphase that remains accurate for 122 years, with a polished moon and stars displayed against a deep backdrop.

The flying tourbillon, visible through its openworked cage, not only adds visual dynamism but also benefits from the use of a cylindrical hairspring. This rare technical feature, first developed in the 18th century by Abraham-Louis Breguet and now reintroduced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, enhances precision and stability.

The watch is offered in several case variations, each measuring 42 millimeters in diameter. In pink gold, the model pairs with a warm brown dial for a harmonious look, while platinum versions are available with either a smooth mirror-polished bezel or one set with seventy-two baguette-cut diamonds totaling 3.4 carats. Through the exhibition case back, the movement reveals a 22K rose gold rotor, a testament to the brand’s attention to detail. Each version is completed with an alligator leather strap, secured by a folding clasp in pink gold or a pin buckle in platinum.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, Master Grande Tradition Calibre 985, Q5242461 (Pink Gold), Q5246508 (Platinum with diamonds), Q5246580 (Platinum). Blue or brown dial, 18k pink gold or platinum case, 42 mm diameter, 13.27 mm thickness, sapphire crystal, 50m water resistance. Brown alligator leather strap with 18k pink gold folding clasp or blue alligator leather strap with platinum pin buckle. Calibre 985, automatic movement, hour, minutes, day, date, month, year, moon phases, day-night indicator, flying tourbillon, 28,800 Vph, 49 jewels, 45 hours of power reserve. Price: upon request.

Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel

Alongside this high complication, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel, which places equal emphasis on mechanical refinement and artistic craftsmanship. The dial is created using the Grand Feu enamel technique, a process that requires layers of colored glass paste to be fired at high temperatures, producing an enduring finish with a luminous depth. To enhance its beauty, the anthracite dial is decorated with 180 guilloché sunray motifs, allowing light to dance across the surface beneath the sapphire crystal.

Inside the 40-millimeter pink gold case beats the automatic Calibre 978, a movement that has been part of the manufacture since 2009 and was upgraded in 2019 to integrate modern advancements. It features a tourbillon at six o’clock, which also functions as the small seconds display, and offers a power reserve of 45 hours. The date sub-dial at twelve o’clock is adorned with concentric grooves, while dauphine hands and polished baton markers provide elegance and readability. A sapphire case back reveals the pink gold rotor, completing the refined presentation.

Although described as “Ultra Thin,” the watch measures 12.13 millimeters in thickness, a noteworthy achievement given the integration of a tourbillon. This timepiece is produced in a limited edition of just fifty examples, underscoring its exclusivity.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Enamel, Q13224E2. Anthracite-gray Grand Feu enamel dial with guilloché, 18k pink gold case, 40 mm diameter, 12.30 mm thickness, sapphire crystal, 50m water resistance. Black alligator leather strap with 18k pink gold folding clasp. Calibre 978, automatic movement, hour, minutes, 60-seconds tourbillon, date, 28,800 Vph, 33 jewels, 45 hours of power reserve. Price: upon request, limited to 50 pieces.

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